Method and apparatus for determining whether an email message is ready for transmission

Abstract

A computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer usable program code to analyze an email message using a policy to form a result in response to detecting a request to send an email message. A determination is made as to whether the result indicates that the email message is complete. An alert is generated if a determination is present that indicates that the email message is incomplete.

1 . A computer implemented method for transmitting email messages, the computer implemented method comprising: 
 responsive to detecting a request to send an email message, analyzing the email message using a policy to form a result;    determining whether the result indicates that the email message is incomplete; and    generating an alert if a determination is present that indicates that the email message is incomplete.    
   
   
       2 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 sending the email message to a recipient if a determination indicating that the email message is complete is present.    
   
   
       3 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the policy comprises a template, wherein the template identifies user configured rules for analyzing the email message.  
   
   
       4 . The computer implemented method of  claim 3 , wherein the policy further comprises at least one of key words, key phrases, and patterns for use in determining whether the email message is complete.  
   
   
       5 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the analyzing step comprises: 
 determining whether selected information should be present using the policy; and    determining whether the selected information is present in the email message if the selected information should be present based on the policy.    
   
   
       6 . The computer implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the missing information comprises a file.  
   
   
       7 . The computer implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein the missing information further comprises at least one of an address, a phone number, and a name.  
   
   
       8 . A computer program product comprising: 
 a computer usable medium having computer usable program code for transmitting email messages, the computer program product including:    computer usable program code, responsive to detecting a request to send an email message, for analyzing the email message using a policy to form a result;    computer usable program code for determining whether the result indicates that the email message is incomplete; and    computer usable program code for generating an alert if a determination is present that indicates that the email message is incomplete.    
   
   
       9 . The computer program product of  claim 8  further comprising: 
 computer usable program code for sending the email message to a recipient if a determination indicating that the email message is complete is present.    
   
   
       10 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein the policy comprises a template, wherein the template identifies user configured rules for analyzing the email message.  
   
   
       11 . The computer program product of  claim 10 , wherein the policy further comprises at least one of key words, key phrases, and patterns for use in determining whether the email message is complete.  
   
   
       12 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein the computer usable program code, responsive to detecting a request to send an email message, for analyzing the email message using a policy to form a result comprises: 
 computer usable program code for determining whether selected information should be present using the policy; and    computer usable program code for determining whether the selected information is present in the email message if the selected information should be present based on the policy.    
   
   
       13 . The computer program product of  claim 8 , wherein the missing information comprises a file.  
   
   
       14 . The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein the missing information further comprises at least one of an address, a phone number, and a name.  
   
   
       15 . A data processing system comprising: 
 a bus;    a communications unit connected to the bus;    a memory connected to the bus, wherein the storage device includes a set of computer usable program code; and    a processor unit connected to the bus, wherein the processor unit executes the set of computer usable program code to analyze the email message using a policy to form a result in response to detecting a request to send an email message; determine whether the result indicates that the email message is incomplete; and generate an alert if a determination is present that indicates that the email message is incomplete.    
   
   
       16 . The data processing system of  claim 15 , wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable code to send the email message to a recipient if a determination indicating that the email message is complete is present.  
   
   
       17 . The data processing system of  claim 15 , wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable code, wherein the policy comprises a template, and wherein the template identifies user configured rules for analyzing the email message.  
   
   
       18 . The data processing system of  claim 17 , wherein the policy further comprises at least one of key words, key phrases, and patterns for use in determining whether the email message is complete.  
   
   
       19 . The data processing system of  claim 15 , wherein the processor unit further executes the computer usable code to determine whether selected information should be present using the policy; and determine whether the selected information is present in the email message if the selected information should be present based on the policy.  
   
   
       20 . The data processing system of  claim 15 , wherein the missing information comprises a file.